A great sequel to We Were Here! The co-op puzzling was even more creative than in the first game. I played it with my best friend and for the most part we had a great time. Some unclear game mechanics in one of the last puzzles lead to some easily avoidable frustration if gameplay was clearer. If you're going to play for yourself, really pay attention to when your cursor does and doesn't expand to know what you can interact with. That's all I'll say, my brain is too fried after playing it all in one night to think of anything more. Give it a go with a plus one!

Little Nightmare is a little scary game that doesn't take long to beat but makes the most of its short time with you. I spent a few evenings after school playing this game with my partner at the time. We'd take turns being in control, trading off when someone died or it got too scary for whomever was in control. Little Nightmares doesn't try to shock or startle you like other horror games I've played and disliked. The atmosphere is creepy with grimey art design that sets a chilling tone, accompanied by music and sound effects that made the hairs on our arms stand up. I recommend playing with the lights off, and maybe on a rainy evening for full effect.

Once more, a fantastic time was had playing Halo:Reach. This play through was a co-op run with my best friend on our Twitch channel. Co-op Halo will always be my favourite Halo. I've spend so many hours split screen with my brother and friends, that it almost feels wrong to play without a buddy. The master chief collection doesn't feel the same as playing on a 360 I will be honest. Part of me misses the feeling of a controller in my hand. But mouse and keyboard are easier to control in almost al FPS games, including Reach.

As a kid I always wanted to play Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, but I never had a PS2 to play it on. Now as an adult, with my own control over what I spend my money on, I got myself a console and the game to play! Years later, it's funny to feel a nostalgia for a game that I never grew up on. But thats what I felt. The writing feels very 90's/2000's with smart ass remarks from Daxter and attitude from the Sages. The Precursor Legacy plays like many other 3D platformers of the time, but with its own individuality that today feels distinctly Naughty Dog. The controls were a bit janky at times, specifically the camera, and I wasn't always the clearest on hit boxes. But the game was fantastic and I'm glad I finally got the chance to hang with Jak and Daxter after all these years. Absolutely one of the classics and a must play.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, is a childhood favourite that I was never able to beat. Either because there wasn't enough time when I borrowed a copy from friends or because by the time I got my own copy other games stole my attention. The past two years though I've slowly been playing it, a few hours after work here, a weekend when sick there, and it feels very satisfying to watch the credits role. I've always loved Shadow Pokémon, and thought Shadow Lugia was the coolest Pokémon ever. It's a refreshing experience to play a Pokémon game with an actual narrative rather than just the tried and true "catch 'em all and defeat all the gyms". It was hilarious to me playing this game when Scarlet and Violet came out. No exaggeration; Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness runs better than the newest Pokémon games, and I've been playing the original 2005 version on my GameCube. I've yet to finish all the post game content (purrifying all the Shadow Pokémon, the Coliseum, the Battle Towers, etc.) but I did defeat the main baddies, and catch all 83 Shadow Pokémon (there's one extra in the post game to catch). If you love Pokémon but are feeling worn down by the main line games check out Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness! The soundtrack in this game slaps too! A shame the Pokémon Company has never revisited the Orre Region again, but I'm grateful to always have the chance to return in this game.

Dream Daddy is what I call a "God Tier" dating sim (full transparency I haven't played many). The characters are all well written and unique. Each Daddy has their own distinct personality and life that they live. Paired with a great soundtrack and a charming art style, I had a wonderful time finding my dream date. Mat was my dream come true when I played with friends. I'm not drawn to visual novels or dating sims very often so I haven't played this game since. But I can see myself going back to it one day soon to explore the other potential dating paths (and the Daddy's I'll meet along the way).

Doki Doki Literature Club is trippy as balls. This was my first experience playing a visual novel, and my first experience with a dating simulator. I played it on my laptop, in the passenger seat of my best friend's car, during a long car ride home from University. We managed to beat the game in the 5ish hours that we spent driving, and I believe this game is best experienced when played in one sitting. Having an immersive experience that was never broken by real life distractions lead to many of the games themes having a larger impact on my friend and I while we played.

I played this game for news project that never ended up being picked up by networks. I love this game with all of my heart. I've copy and pasted an excerpt from my original review below.

"Exploring the province of Picnic you will meet characters named after plants or foods, spend lots of time colouring, and go on a journey filled with heart, adventure, and self discovery. The game's story is structured into 10 chapters. Each Chapter reaches it's climax with either a fun and forgiving boss fight or some really cool and unique puzzles. The soundtrack is filled with arrangements from Lena Raine that often had me stop playing to just enjoy the music....This game goes out to all the homies who spent their childhoods playing Pictochat, Kidpix, and MS Paint! I put in about 24 hours of total game time and easily at least 10 of those hours were spent just colouring this adorable world"

PHOGS! is a wacky and weird time that I enjoyed every second of. I played co-op online with my best friend, meaning each of us controlled one half of the "Phog". Two players controlling one character let to silly hijinks and a desperate need to communicate. If you were to play solo you'd control each half with each hand, which is some Sakurai levels of skill I don't have. My only negative opinions of the game are that there were a few game breaking bugs that need to be patched out and the price for the game was a bit more than I wanted to pay. Other than that, it's a very fun co-op game I recommend people play!

It feels insincere to say I've "played" Sonic Colours: Ultimate, because I backseated my best friend playing it. The controller never touched my hands, but we streamed it together on Twitch and completed the game together. So everything other than the experience of interacting with the gameplay mechanics, I was an active gamer! The sound track in Sonic Colours is one of my favourite parts. The music is wonderful. Additionally, the art direction is colourful and fun, and the introduction of the Wisps as power ups is great. The story itself is pretty simple, but for a sonic game that's not the most important ingredient. What I want are fun levels and quick cut scenes that move the plot along with memorable one liners and great character interactions. I got those in this game so I was happy. The Ultimate "face lift" makes Sonic Colours look nice and HD, but most importantly I'm glad this game remains accessible for today's gamers to play.